Media Release

Around 200 Murray crayfish have been released into the river as part of a landmark trial to reintroduce the iconic Australian species back into the South Australian River Murray ... "The Murray crayfish release in South Australia would not have been possible without the rescue efforts of OzFish volunteers during the upstream black-water event, and North-West Aquaculture and Nature Glenelg Trust for maintaining them in captivity," said Darren Willis, Team Leader Wetlands at the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board.

Dubai Chamber office in Sydney a ‘big win,’ says Al Ghurair ... Al Ghurair said that  Dubai Chambers  aims to encourage more Australian businesses to set up companies in Dubai to boost bilateral trade and foreign investment in the city ... “We will be taking the UAE business community back to Australia where they can also invest and explore what kind of economic activities they can do in Australia.”

Managing fire together: Applying science, skills, and stories. The Nature Conservation Council of NSW is excited to announce details of the 13th Biennial Bushfire Conference. The conference is unique in its focus on community participation in fire management...

South Burnett Regional Council Mayor, Brett Otto has joined National Party Leader and Member for Maranoa David Littleproud in questioning the federal government recent budget announcement to impose a levy on farmers to fund biosecurity. Mayor Otto has called on the federal government to reverse the decision, saying it is another impost on struggling farmers.

A group of the United Kingdom’s most influential business figures were presented insights into South Australia’s growing global investment opportunities at a premier industry event in London recently ... The event highlighted the State’s economic priorities to some of the UK’s most influential business figures, focusing on key initiatives such as renewable energy, food and wine, digital skills, space and defence.

Lockyer Valley Libraries will participate in National Simultaneous Storytime later this month. The event, to be held at the Gatton Library on Wednesday 24 May, is an annual campaign  by the  Australian Library and Information Association  (ALIA) that encourages young children to read and enjoy books.  

Visit Lismore - Come play, come stay. LisAmore! takes place in the middle of winter, on Sunday 18 June. It’s a wonderful time of year to visit Lismore, Nimbin and Villages. There is so much to see, do and explore in surrounding towns, villages and national parks, plus Lismore is in the heart of the Northern Rivers, making it the perfect location to discover the entire region.

The Murray–Darling Basin Authority met on 10 May 2023 in person on Ngunnawal Country (Canberra) and via videoconference ... Key water management activities in the River Murray System were discussed, including airspace management at Hume Dam, as well as the prospect of an El Niño weather pattern developing later in the year.

Leases on two Great Barrier Reef islands have been purchased by the Palaszczuk Government with the move protecting key habitat for a range of species including koalas and flatback turtles. Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon announced that the government had purchased the lease for St Bees Island, 35km north-east of Mackay and the lease for the Long Island Broad Sound in the Southern Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

Buloke Shire Council has publicly expressed its concern about the consultation processes in relation to the Victoria to New South Wales Interconnector West (VNI West) Project and called for the project to be suspended.

Farmers say scrapping Dungowan Dam is a short-sighted move that will limit future food production. State Water Minister Rose Jackson announced Dungowan Dam would not proceed in the wake of the federal budget, saying it would save taxpayers $632 million.

This was a renovation rescue like no other – a new skyhome for a high-flying Sunshine Coast couple. Sunshine Coast Council has just completed a lofty project to ensure a better future for a beloved pair of ospreys – and their future offspring.

In another boost for the economy and local jobs, the Northern Territory Government has given mining approval to Core Lithium for its BP33 underground mine –   the second proposed mine at the Finniss Lithium Operation near Darwin. BP33 is located 33km west of Berry Springs and 5km from the Grants open pit, processing of ore mined at BP33 will occur at the nearby Grants Lithium Project.

The Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association (TFGA) has expressed concern over the latest federal budget, claiming that it will exacerbate existing cost-of-living pressures faced by Australians. The TFGA has criticised the budget for failing to address several pressing issues, including regional skilled labour shortages, the ongoing housing crisis, and increasing supply chain costs.  

Charles Sturt University academics are collaborating on an international project to investigate how racehorses express positive emotions in their interaction with humans. Researchers from Charles Sturt, EITITe PÅ«kenga in New Zealand and Hartpury University in the United Kingdom have secured funding from the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) Equine Welfare Foundation for the three-year study.

The first of two new youth detention centres for Queensland will be built at the Woodford Correctional Precinct north west of Brisbane ... The Palaszczuk Government has also committed to building a new youth detention centre near Cairns.

NT Health is urging Territorians and visitors to the Northern Territory (NT) to protect themselves and children from mosquito bites following a recent death from Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) in the Big Rivers region. This follows another MVE death recorded in February in a person in the Top End region.

The complete decentralisation of State Government departments to cities like Townsville and Cairns, or a North Queensland Parliamentary Council that would allow NQ-based MPs only to vote on issues and projects in the region, have been floated as “self-governance” options by Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) MPs. The KAP MPs, in Cairns this week for the Queensland Parliament’s once-a-term regional sitting, said steps towards self-governance were reasonable as the region continues its quest towards statehood.